Winter Storm

Winter weather may finally be heading to Michiana. A strong winter storm system is developing in the southern Plains that is expected to move into northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan by Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service. A winter storm watch will be in effect for LaPorte, St. Joseph and Elkhart counties in Indiana and Berrien and Cass counties in Michigan from Thursday evening through Friday afternoon. Rain is expected here Thursday during the day, mixing with and then turning to snow by Thursday evening.

I would like to respond to Sheila Boyer's Dec. 28 Voice letter “Winter alerts” in which she lamented the fact that local media did not run an alert tone for the winter storm warnings or other recent winter weather events. Unlike the severe weather events when there may be an immediate threat to life or property, winter weather events normally can be endured by simply staying indoors and off the streets. All forecast, watch and warning information is available 24/7 on NOAA Weather Radio.

A Winter Storm Warning continues for all of Southwest Lower Michigan and LaPorte, St. Joseph, Elkhart and Lagrange Counties in Northern Indiana through noon on Sunday. Significant ice and snow accumulations will be possible tonight and early tomorrow. There is also an Ice Storm Warning in effect for Porter, Starke, Marshall, Kosciusko, Whitely, Noble, Pulaski and Fulton Counties in Northern Indiana until noon on Sunday. Ice accumulations of up to half an inch and possibly more will be likely in some locations, 1 to 3 inches of snow will also be possible.

The National Weather Service in Northern Indiana has issued a winter storm watch for all of Michiana from 10 p.m. EST this evening through Wednesday morning. According to forecasters, rain is expected to transition to a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain this evening, and continue on and off throughout the day Tuesday as a storm system passes through the region. The storm could cause ice accumulations of more than a quarter inch in some areas, while several inches of snow also are possible.

A winter storm is dumping snow to the north and freezing rain to the south in Indiana this morning. There was four inches of snow on the ground at the Indianapolis International Airport as of seven a-m. Freezing rain is also reported falling at the airport. A blizzard warning is in effect until midnight for counties north of Indianapolis and south of South Bend. A winter storm warning is in effect until midnight in central Indiana. Officials in Fountain County in west-central Indiana have declared a snow emergency.

All of southwest lower Michigan and most of northern Indiana are under a winter storm watch starting Friday morning and continuing through Saturday morning. Snow will develop Friday and continue Friday night. By the time the snow ends Saturday, snow totals of around 6 inches will be likely. There is also a chance of freezing rain and sleet Friday night. Check back with www.SouthBendTribune.com and www.Wsbt.com for the latest weather developments. Click here to enlarge Doppler

SOUTH BEND -- Slick conditions from the winter storm were likely to blame for a pair of injury crashes Tuesday evening. St. Joseph County police said a semi-truck and two passenger vehicles collided around 6 p.m. on the U.S. 20 Bypass near Mayflower Road. A dispatcher said additional details were not immediately available, including on how many people were transported. In Mishawaka, crews were working on an injury crash that happened around 8:40 p.m. at Lincoln Way and Ironwood Drive.

Though spring might be just around the corner, Old Man Winter isn't letting go of Michiana just yet. According to meteorologists at WSBT, a storm will bring snow throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, with the heaviest snow falling this afternoon and evening. The predicted snowfall for South Bend and areas south and west of the city is 4 to 7 inches. Because the system is tracking southwest, counties that don't often see high snowfalls from lake-effect snow will see high snowfalls from this storm.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The National Weather Service says the winter storm that hit Indiana on Wednesday dumped its highest snowfall amount near the southern Indiana town of Ellettsville. Al Shipe of the weather service's Indianapolis office says the 13-inch snowfall total near that Monroe County town is based on preliminary information. He says the weather service will be preparing a comprehensive snowfall map based on two-day storm totals. But Shipe says it's clear that south-central and southwestern Indiana received the highest storm totals, with about a foot of snow.

The counties of Berrien, Cass, LaPorte, St. Joseph and Elkhart - those closest to Lake Michigan - were expected to see the highest snow totals from a winter storm moving through Michiana today and early Friday. Those counties are under a winter storm warning, while a winter weather advisory is in effect throughout the rest of Michiana As of this afternoon, an inch to an inch and a half of rain had fallen across the area, according to WSBT meteorologist Abby Weppler. But by far the major concerns are high winds, accumulating snow and reduced visibility that will continue into Friday morning.

Winter weather may finally be heading to Michiana. A strong winter storm system is expected to move into northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan by Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service. A winter storm warning will be in effect for LaPorte, St. Joseph and Elkhart counties in Indiana and Berrien and Cass counties in Michigan from Thursday night through Friday afternoon. Rain is expected here during the day Thursday, mixing with and then turning to snow by Thursday night.

DOWAGIAC -- The winter storm was likely a factor in a two-vehicle crash today on Michigan 51 that injured five Dowagiac area residents. The Cass County Sheriff's Department reported David Lear, 60, was driving south on the highway, just north of Downey Street, about 1:50 p.m. when his auto crossed the centerline and struck an oncoming car driven by Michael Shields, 58. Lear, Shields and three children in the Lear auto identified as Kevin...

I would like to respond to Sheila Boyer's Dec. 28 Voice letter “Winter alerts” in which she lamented the fact that local media did not run an alert tone for the winter storm warnings or other recent winter weather events. Unlike the severe weather events when there may be an immediate threat to life or property, winter weather events normally can be endured by simply staying indoors and off the streets. All forecast, watch and warning information is available 24/7 on NOAA Weather Radio.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 MI South Bend Tribune B3 PLYMOUTH -- The snowplow was stressing me out. Let me clarify: Driving the snowplow in front of the more than 30 men and women who will drive snowplows for the Indiana Department of Transportation in north-central Indiana this winter was stressing me out. Most days I work as a reporter and, until Monday, had never driven anything larger than a 15-passenger van. But someone at InDOT thought it...

Mostly cloudy skies on Wednesday with highs in the lower 30s. Freezing rain, sleet and snow will be possible late on Wednesday as a storm system approaches. It looks like we'll see rain on Thursday possibly mixing with some snow. The precipitation will change to snow by late Friday but a rain/snow mix will still be possible. This system will likely cause problems for Christmas travel. We'll have more updates as we get closer on WSBT-TV, The StormTracker Channel and WSBT.com. Some lake-effect snow will be possible as we head into the weekend.